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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · squash · stem · cue · game · can · fine · wake

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wake — a trail
  11. game — a match
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pass — a permit
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cue — a hint
  20. squash — the sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com